I question everyone’s motives. All the time. In every
situation. I can’t help it. It’s a problem.
However, when it comes to advertising, I don’t think that I
am wrong to be skeptical. It’s especially confusing when companies send out
seemingly respectable messages through their advertisements, but their products
have another message.
The company that really confuses me is Dove. Below is one of
their most recent commercials.
And you can find an article discussing some of the issues with this video here.
Lately they have been sending out messages about how women
should embrace their beauty and love themselves and ya-da-ya-da-ya. It’s an
awesome message. I totally think every person in the world should love
themselves, and have a high self-esteem and embrace their beauty, flaws and
all. BUT, I don’t think that Dove truly feels the same way. Especially since
they sell firming lotions and such, that someone would buy in order to “fix”
something they don’t like about themselves.
I personally believe, with all the recent positive attention
feminism has been getting (Emma Watson, Beyoncé, and other celebrities saying
they support feminism), the messages they are sending are simply a marketing
tool. This is a confusing situation (for someone like me who is confused by
everything) because I don’t know if I should be happy or sad. On one side, it’s
great that there is any message at all about women loving themselves and what
not. However, I feel manipulated because I know it’s all just a way to sell
their products.
Additionally, I think there is a problem with their lack of
diversity in their ads. Dove says they use “real women” in their videos, but I
find that debatable. They do have women of different races, and women who are
not super thin, but where are the transwomen, or the women who have not so
perfect skin (cellulite, scars, etc.)? Where are the women from different
cultures, or different/elder ages?
I have this hippie aunt who makes everything herself- soap,
shampoo, toothpaste, cheese, everything! - if I could just be more like her I wouldn’t
have to worry about being manipulated by big companies (and I’d save a ton of
money), because it’s safe to say that whatever they are doing is working. I
know I say I’m skeptical of their motives, but I still use their products.
Anyways, tune in next week to hear about my shampoo making
experience!
Just kidding.
This reminds me of the beginning of the semester when we learn about how all the television station are all connected for a reason. Sadly its all a mind game for us the consumers to consume. These advertising managers are trained and great at targeting how we want to feel and what we want to see in order to buy their product. Like you said their advertising natural beauty, but I guess figure if we're not making the extreme decision to get plastic surgery we'll buy the wrinkle creams. I see it as their way of meeting us half way their. Realizing this kind of behavior makes me upset because you see the world doesn't care about you really, they care about how, when, and where you spend your money. So no, there is no sincerity most of the time it is a marketing tool.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the beginning of the semester when we learn about how all the television station are all connected for a reason. Sadly its all a mind game for us the consumers to consume. These advertising managers are trained and great at targeting how we want to feel and what we want to see in order to buy their product. Like you said their advertising natural beauty, but I guess figure if we're not making the extreme decision to get plastic surgery we'll buy the wrinkle creams. I see it as their way of meeting us half way their. Realizing this kind of behavior makes me upset because you see the world doesn't care about you really, they care about how, when, and where you spend your money. So no, there is no sincerity most of the time it is a marketing tool.
ReplyDelete